The writing is on the wall regarding Nolan Gorman's future with the Cardinals

The hot corner was a hot mess for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2026. In terms of Wins Above Replacement, the Cardinals' third basemen finished dead last in the major leagues, at a combined -1.0. Nolan Gorman headlined the sorry state of affairs at the position, and the latest news from STLToday's Derrick Goold should have Gorman packing his bags.

According to Goold, the Cardinals are on the lookout for a short-term solution at third base, seemingly signifying that the team has given up the ghost on the 2018 first-round pick. After hitting .205 with a .666 OPS in 2025, Gorman sank even further in 2026, batting a paltry .184 with a .580 OPS. His strikeout tendencies remained problematic, as he fanned in 32.5% of plate appearances.

Gorman headed to Driveline in the offseason to work on his swing, a facility that plenty of Cardinals have attended and one that Goold said the scuffling slugger has visited in the past, but it will most likely be another team that reaps any rewards that might come from his latest stint there. Gorman is eligible for arbitration in 2027, and MLB Trade Rumors speculates that while he may only receive a small raise from $2.65 million to $4.3 million, he's still a likely non-tender candidate for the Cardinals in the offseason.

As of now, the Cardinals' third baseman of the future appears to be Jesús Báez, who hit .283 with a .915 OPS and 39 home runs across High-A and Double-A in 2026. The Cardinals also worked out top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez at third base, although they appear to still be committed to him as a catcher for now. But although Báez looks to have a bright future, the Cardinals don't want to rush him to the major leagues next year, a season in which they are unlikely to seriously contend for a postseason berth. Therefore. the Cardinals are in need of a stopgap solution.

Who are the internal and external options at third base for the Cardinals in 2027?

If the Cardinals end up not searching outside of the organization, they have three realistic options to play third base in Blaze Jordan, Thomas Saggese and José Fermín. Jordan still has a bit of shine on him as a former highly touted prospect in the Boston Red Sox system, and his defense at third base was better than many expected after the Cardinals dragged him across the diamond from the much less demanding first base position. He also made plenty of contact, and his expected stats suggested some misfortune in his batted-ball luck.

Saggese turned on the jets near the end of the 2026 season, In his first 17 games after being promoted on Aug 29, Saggese hit .373 with a .979 OPS before falling back to earth in his final eight games., lending credence to the idea that he could become an adequate everyday player with more reps.

Fermín had perhaps the most encouraging season of the three. Although his .248 average and .663 OPS aren't anything to write home about, he finished in the top 4% of major league hitters in whiff rate and tended to deliver when the moment was biggest, hitting .338 with an .838 OPS in "late and close" games, as defined by Baseball Reference.

The main sticking point with these three players is the lack of power that most teams covet at the third base position, and that could persuade the Cardinals to search outside of the organization for help. One potential fit is Alec Bohm, although his defense may not be adequate enough for the Cardinals to use him at third base for an entire season. Eugenio Suarez is another option who could provide pop at the plate, but his defense is also lackluster, and he hit just .212 in 2026. The Cardinals could also opt for a trade to acquire Ryan McMahon, Royce Lewis or someone else in that vein.

The Cardinals gave Gorman plenty of chances, but he was never able to shake the strikeouts that have plagued him throughout his career, nor did he provide enough power to offset them. Regardless of whom the Cardinals choose to place at third base while fans anxiously await Báez's arrival, it appears that Gorman isn't long for the Gateway City.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow